STOCKHOLM, Sweden and COPENHAGEN, Denmark, March 9, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Hymite A/S today announced that the company has closed a second round of financing totaling Eur 9.7 million (DKK 72.3 million). The investment secures liquidity for the company to exploit the very positive market feedback and increasing customer traction from leading international companies. The investment was co-led by German/U.S. firm TVM and by Swedish firm InnovationsKapital, with participation from all the existing investors.
Hans Schreck, General Partner at TVM states: "We believe silicon-based hermetic packaging will be an enabler of the next level of electro- optical subsystem integration, and has the potential to replace existing hermetic technologies. Integration and cost reduction will have a key impact on margins in the optical and MEMS industries in the coming years."
Peder Holm, Investment Manager of InnovationsKapital states: "Hymite is a research spin-out with a unique know-how and an enabling technology platform for cost effective and advanced silicon based packaging. The company addresses a fundamental industry problem of electro optical packaging. We are very impressed by the team of Hymite and look forward to work together with them in creating a successful company."
The Chairman of the board, Dr. Torben Jacobsen mentions that he is very satisfied with the result and states "I welcome the two new strong investors and I am looking forward to continue the cooperative work already carried out at the Hymite's board, now significantly strengthened by the two new investors around the table, who both besides their own knowledge add an international network".
The CEO, Niels-Kristian Hersoug: "It is a distinct honor in these days to be granted the resources and get access to a strengthened personal network that will make us able to roll our quite novel packaging technologies out to the entire world."
About Hymite A/S: Hymite A/S develops, markets and delivers hermetic and non-hermetic assembly and encapsulation u-housing technologies for semiconductors, optical and MEMS integrated circuits. The company is targeting the increasing MEMS market for micro-machined silicon, the growing market for datacom optical high speed communication links and the market for advanced optical telecom applications. The technologies offer a wide range of usage ranging from very high frequency applications in excess of 40 GHz to high power applications, handling several amperes of current. The end product markets range from automotive, medical and communications all the way to consumer electronics. The technologies are condensed into the three product lines: HyShell(TM), HyCap(R) and HySembly(TM). Hymite is offering complementary services to these technologies comprising assembly, testing and fiber or connector termination.
Hymite A/S employs highly qualified engineers and scientists, operating from sites in Copenhagen, Berlin and Dallas.
Hymite A/S was founded in 1999, with the first capital investment made in July 2001.
About the new investors: TVM V Information Technology GmbH & Co. KG Munich TVM is one of the first venture capital firms founded in 1983 in Munich Germany with the first fund raised in 1984. A Boston office was added in 1986. In recent years TVM has become the leader in transatlantic operations by creating and financing more than thirty transatlantic deals to date.
TVM Funds have made investments in more than 200 technology companies in eight countries. Over 40 of these companies have gone public on Nasdaq, London Stock Exchange, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Nasdaq Europe and the Swiss Stock Exchange.
Further information about TVM can be found at www.tvmvc.com
Contact regarding TVM's investment: General Partner Hans Schreck +49 89 998 992 33 or mail to schreck@tvmvc.de
InnovationsKapital
InnovationsKapital was founded in 1994 and is a leading early stage venture capital firm for innovative growth companies in the Nordic region. The business, carried out from offices in Gothenburg and Stockholm, is focused on Nordic investments within ICT and Healthcare & Life Sciences - dynamic sectors that are rapidly expanding and where Nordic research plays an important role. The capital (Eur 200 million) is managed in three funds and is provided by highly reputable Swedish and international institutional investors.
Further information about InnovationsKapital can be found at www.innkap.se
Contact regarding InnovationsKapital's investment: Investment Manager Peder Holm +46 8 545 014 93 or mail to: peder.holm@innkap.se
About the existing Investors:
Vertex Venture Holdings (Vertex Group)
Vertex Management was founded in 1988 as the venture capital arm of Singapore Technologies Group (ST). Vertex is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in Silicon Valley (USA), London, Copenhagen, Tel-Aviv, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Vertex currently manage funds valued at about US$ 1 billion and has made more than 290 investments in technology companies of which 121 of the portfolio companies have either achieved listings on stock exchanges in the US, Europe, Taiwan and Singapore, or were acquired by other companies.
Further information about Vertex Management can be found at www.vertexmgt.com
Contact regarding Vertex management's investment: Investment Director, partner Mr. Steen Lohse +45 3915 8030 or mail to: slohse@vertexmgt.com
Dansk Kapitalanlaeg Aktieselskab Dansk Kapitalanlaeg is listed on the Copenhagen Stock exchange and has a total equity of DKK 1.4 billion (Eur 200 million). Since 1984 the company has invested in 171 companies with in total 13.000 employees and an annual turnover in excess of DKK 12 billion (Eur 1.8 billion), of which 106 companies have been disinvested, resulting in a current portfolio having in excess of 4.4 billion DKK (Eur 604 million) in turnover and 4800 employees.
Further information about Dansk Kapitalanlaeg can be found at www.dankap.dk
Contacts regarding Dansk Kapitalanlaegs investment: Managing Director Mr. Niels Kristian Agner +45 3315 7030 or mail to: dankap@dankap.dk
Vaekstfonden Vaekstfonden is a Danish state owned financial company operating independently in the capital market. The aim of Vaekstfonden is to facilitate the supply of venture capital in terms of start-up equity and high-risk loans. All financing is provided on commercial terms. Furthermore, Vaekstfonden invests in private venture funds specializing in specific industry sectors. Our vision is to create the best market for innovation finance in Europe.
Further information about Vaekstfonden can be found at www.vf.dk
Contacts regarding Vaekstfondens investment: Senior investment Director, Mr. John Allentoft, +45 3529 8662 or mail to jia@vf.dk
Olicom A/S Olicom invests in leading edge information technology and communication technology companies located in Scandinavia. The main office is located in the OEresund region and the US office is located in the Dallas Telecom Corridor in Richardson, Texas.
Olicom is listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange and in the USA the company's stock is traded on the NASD OTC Bulletin Board, under the symbol OLCMF.
Further information about Olicom can be found at www.olicom.com
Contacts regarding Olicoms investment: CEO, Mr. Boje Rinhardt, +45 4527 0070 or mail bri@Olicom.com
Further information:
For more information please contact CEO, Mr. Niels-Kristian Hersoug; Hymite A/S at +45 4525 9152 or +45 4060 7068
Further information about Hymite can be found at www.hymite.com
The pictures used in this press release is available in high resolution from: www.hymite.com in "Info Center" under "Download Center"
Yours sincerely Niels Hersoug
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